Hazard
by Navona
Summary: “Well, let’s have it then,” Elphaba said, “who is this supposed admirer of mine?” Gelphie.


**Title: **Hazard**  
Fandom: **Wicked – bookverse  
**Rating: **PG**  
Pairing: **Some gelphie**  
Summary: **"Well, let's have it then," Elphaba said, "who is this supposed admirer of mine?"

Elphaba entered the café, ignoring the sound of the bell tinkling over her head. She scanned the room for her companion, finding him next to the window.

"Afternoon, Boq," she said, sitting down opposite him and unbuttoning her cloak.

"Hello, Elphie," he said, looking up eagerly. "Lovely to see you. How are you?"

"Not bad," she answered, unwinding her scarf. "And yourself?"

"Got enough clothes there, have you?" another voice asked cheerfully.

Elphaba looked around. "Avaric," she said dryly, casting a glance at Boq. "Charming."

"I'm sorry," Boq said quickly. "He wouldn't stay behind."

"I didn't realise it was winter already," Avaric said, grabbing Elphaba's long scarf. "In fact, I'd say it's only just autumn."

"There was an unseasonable chill in the air this afternoon," Elphaba said, taking her scarf back. "It must have been your presence."

"She's a wit, our Elphie," Avaric grinned. He looked around. "Isn't Galinda joining us?"

"She is not," Elphaba said, "so if you've only come for her company I'd suggest you leave. In fact, I'd suggest you leave anyway."

"Never mind," Avaric shrugged. "I really came for the new waitress." He grinned. "Now _she_ is _something_."

"Avaric, we're not spending the evening talking about your taste in women," Boq said sternly.

"No?" Avaric asked. "Would you like to talk about yours, then?"

Boq groaned. "Elphie," he said, turning very obviously away from Avaric. "What's been happening up at Shiz?"

"Yes, do tell," Avaric said. "This sounds interesting."

Elphaba ignored him. "Nothing of interest," she said to Boq. "Dr Dillamond has been working all hours of the night. He won't tell me what exactly he's doing, but I believe it's something to do with the levels of -,"

"Oz sakes, you two are boring," Avaric interrupted. "Say, Elphie, have you heard about that dance coming up? Are you going?"

"To the dance?" Elphaba said. "Well, of course. Right after I curl my hair and borrow one of Galinda's pink dresses to wear. _And_ find someone to go with."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Avaric grinned. "You've already got an admirer, what else do you need?"

"Indeed?" Elphaba said mildly, raising an eyebrow. "An admirer, is it? And who might that be? I hope you're not suggesting yourself, for you're in for a sore disappointment."

"Hardly," Avaric snorted. "You're scarcely my usual type, Elphie."

"Thank Oz for small favours," Elphaba said dryly. "Well, let's have it then; who is this supposed admirer of mine?"

"Ah," Avaric said, smirking around his teacup. "I'm referring to your roommate."

Boq choked.

"_What?_" Elphaba said, reaching out automatically to clap the spluttering Boq on the back. "_Galinda? _What in _Oz_ are you talking about, Avaric?"

"Oh come, Elphie," Avaric grinned. "It's obvious to everyone. Why do you think she didn't fancy Boq, here?"

Elphaba smirked. "Possibly because -,"

"Alright," Boq interrupted. "We've no need to re-hash _that_, thank you." He turned to Avaric. "Have you gone completely insane? Suggesting that Elphaba and Galinda are – could be –," he lowered his voice to a whisper. "_Lovers_?"

"Not at all," Avaric said airily, brushing at the cuffs of his jacket. He grinned. "I'm certainly not going to question who Galinda chooses to bestow her favours on."

"Oh stop talking nonsense, Avaric," Elphaba said. "I'm the very last person Galinda would pick if she was _choosing to bestow favours_ on anyone. You know we're not friends – or have you forgotten our ill-fated trip to Caprice-In-The-Pines?"

"Ah, but that's the trick of it," Avaric said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "You pretend to be enemies in public so that no one will guess that behind closed doors you're secretly going at it like –,"

"Stop!" Boq said hurriedly. He put a hand over his eyes. "Next time," he said to Avaric, "you are _not invited_."

"Nonsense," Avaric replied cheerfully. "I wasn't invited today and that didn't stop me, did it?"

Boq glared. Avaric grinned back at him.

"Well then," Avaric said, turning back to Elphaba. "You may as well tell all, now that the jig's up. For instance, do you start it, or does she? Does she wait on top of her bed for you, dressed only in her underthings, hoping that you'll -,"

"Oh, stop that," Boq exclaimed, shoving him. "Or at least push off and bore somebody else with your disgusting comments."

"Really, they're so ridiculous as to be a little amusing," Elphaba said, smirking. "Honestly, Avaric, even _I_ didn't think you could sink so low as to put forward your own dirty fantasies as actual fact. The very _idea_ of Galinda and myself in the sort of relationship you're imagining…" She trailed off. Her mouth went suddenly dry.

"Well, anyway," she continued quickly, draining her cup. "Frankly Avaric, you're just -,"

"A dirty bastard?" Avaric supplied cheerfully. "So people keep telling me." He leaned forward across the table. "Which one of you is on top?"

Boq groaned and buried his face in his hands. "I'm going to kill you," he moaned. "Elphaba is a _lady_!"

"And a fine one at that," Avaric said graciously, winking at her. "So, in deference to Boq, who has sensitive ears, we'll continue our discussion another time." He turned to Boq. "Say, Munchkin, didn't you have something you wanted to talk to Elphie about?"

"Not with you around," Boq said sulkily. "You'd only ruin the work we meant to do this afternoon."

"Probably," Elphaba agreed. She pushed away her empty cup and stood. "Anyway, boys. I'd best be off."

"What?" Boq protested, standing too, "but you've only just arrived!"

"Yes," Elphaba said, "and it's already getting dark. I've no wish to have to feel my way back to Shiz." She pulled on her cloak, tugging the hood up over her hair to hide herself.

Boq shot Avaric a glare.

"Well, Boq," Elphaba said, "I shall see you soon. And you," she added to Avaric, "I hope I won't."

"Hard luck then," he replied easily, grinning. "I expect you shall. For where Boq goes, I am bound to follow."

"Worse luck," Boq muttered. Avaric slung an arm around his shoulders cheerfully.

"I wish I was coming with you, Elphie," he called as Elphaba made her way across the café. "I'd love to go home to Miss Galinda splayed on her bed, waiting for me in her underwear…"

"_Avaric_!" she heard Boq exclaim as she left the shop. She smirked to herself.

Nightfall was indeed on its way and Elphaba drew her cloak more tightly about her, shivering slightly. Perhaps Galinda would have started a fire. No – that was an unlikely possibility. She wasn't entirely sure Galinda even knew how to do it.

The image came, unbidden, into her mind of Galinda kneeling before the fireplace, busily bent over it, her dress bunched so that slim, pale legs peeked out the bottom, and the beginnings of the swell of her breasts were visible.

Elphaba blinked. Certainly, that image was Avaric's fault. It was not conjured from Elphaba's own mind. Casting a glance at the oncoming clouds, Elphaba shook her head and hurried onwards.

--

She had expected that Galinda would be out with her friends all night, so it was a surprise to find the door unlocked. She entered anyway, already unfastening her cloak, and then halted abruptly, blinking hard to make sure what she was seeing truly _was_ real.

Galinda sat perched on the end of her bed. In her underclothes.

For one bizarre moment, Elphaba was certain Galinda was about to look up with a coy smile and suggest something utterly ridiculous that the two of them could do together. Her face grew warm.

And then she noticed that Galinda was soaking wet, her fancy dress in a puddle on the floor, and the short petticoats she was still wearing dripping onto the carpet. Her bare arms and legs showed bruises and scratches.

Elphaba stared, standing uncertainly.

"Galinda?" she asked.

Galinda looked up a little. It was clear she'd been crying. "Elphaba," she said, her voice flat. "You're back early."

"Yes, I -," Elphaba broke off. She didn't know how to handle Galinda at the best of times. "What's happened? Are you hurt?"

"No," Galinda said. Belatedly, she shook her head. "I'm quite fine."

She stood, the water that had been pooling running abruptly down her body. Elphaba watched it travel, noting, without meaning to, the way Galinda's underclothes clung to her body.

She swallowed. Curse Avaric! Without his suggestions, she'd certainly not be thinking anything of the sort. Shaking her head, she took a cautious step closer.

"You look a little less than fine," she pointed out, reaching for Galinda's towel and handing it to her. "What happened?"

For a moment, it seemed Galinda wasn't going to answer. She toweled herself slowly, rubbing her wet hair without meeting Elphaba's eyes.

"It was Milla," she said finally. "Milla and – some boy. They pushed me into the lake."

"They what?" Elphaba said sharply. Galinda flinched, and Elphaba took a deep breath, fighting down the instinctive panic she felt at the thought of such a punishment. "I'm sorry, Galinda. I meant: why would they do that?"

Galinda shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "For amusement, I suppose. They laughed as they walked away." She began to shiver.

"Take off your petticoats," Elphaba said. "Here – quick. You'll catch ill if you stand about like that."

"I believe I already have," Galinda said quietly, but she obeyed, peeling the petticoats off and dropping them unceremoniously on the floor. Elphaba tried not to watch.

"Take this," she said quickly, holding out a blanket from her own bed. Galinda took it, wrapping it around herself.

"Right," Elphaba said, her head clearing once Galinda's body was properly hidden by the blanket. "You'd best get into bed."

"Yes," Galinda agreed. She slid the blanket down and handed it back to Elphaba, standing once more in her underwear. Without warning, she hugged her, her thankfully dry body pressing against Elphaba's own. Elphaba stood frozen, her heart racing and her body flushing. Galinda was so close. For a moment, Elphaba was sure she was about to be kissed.

This was all Avaric's fault.

"Yes, well," she said, patting Galinda's hair awkwardly. "You'd better – you know – bed."

"Yes," Galinda said, pulling away and reaching for the covers. Elphaba breathed a sigh of relief as the body on show disappeared underneath the blankets.

"Goodnight," she said, blowing out the candle beside Galinda's bed.

"Goodnight," Galinda replied, as she turned to face the wall. "Thank you, Elphie."

Elphaba turned without replying, careful not to step on Galinda's wet clothes on the floor. She looked over at the blonde curls poking out from under the covers, and then gasped as images flooded her mind of where else those blonde curls could be.

Next time she saw Avaric, she resolved to kill him.


End file.
